Tom Hamilton lights the fire that spurs the Reds

With all the uncertainty shrouding Australian rugby, a bright spark like Tom Hamilton is just what the game needs.

Tom is 32, suffers from cerebral palsy and as a result, is a quadriplegic.

It’s a condition that cripples the body but not the mind and Tom is living, breathing proof of that.

Speak to the man and you will find a brilliant mind that thinks deeply about all facets of life but focuses most on his attention on his one true love - sport.

Cricket is his first love but in winter, rugby consumes him.Reds training sessions aren’t exactly public affairs but among the handful of journalists keeping an eye on proceedings you will see Tom, often with his carer Chris, watching keenly, eyes always following the flow of play.

A post shared by Quade Cooper (@quadecooper) on May 4, 2017 at 7:11pm PDT

Tom grew up watching his brothers play at Churchie in the same years Karmichael Hunt, Quade Cooper and David Pocock were students at the famous rugby nursery.

That’s where his love for the game started and that’s how he knew what he wanted to write about when the idea of a blog came to him while travelling through Toronto, Canada.

“We were in Toronto looking at some building setups aimed at Tom’s future when we heard about a young bloke like Tom that started handing out his own newsletters outside the Blue Jays (baseball team) stadium - it turned into a major publication,” Phil said.